As Luck Would Have It
by KSUnsungHero
Summary: Bosco learns to believe.


As Luck Would Have It  
Revised: 4/29/03 Just changed the word endings, as it was bothering someone. Same story, if you've read it. If not, shame on you! J/K  


11:16 p.m.  
He was walking to his car when a feeling of uneasiness started to wash over him with each step. His gut instincts told him to keep moving, but the cop in him told him to take action. He slowly reached in his pocket for his backup, but his hand came up empty. Where was it? He tried to remain calm, as he thought of what else to do. He'd just have to chance it and go into it unarmed. He whipped around and struck his assailant. He didn't hear the words of the approaching person. All he heard was the sound his fist made as it came into contact with the face of an unsuspecting...Yokas?  
  
What had he done? He didn't even think first, he just whipped around and the next thing he knew he was staring at his partner, who was now doubled over, her face in her hands. There was blood falling onto the pavement below, the result of a probable broken nose. It was no surprise, considering he had put everything he had, all his frustrations of the day, into that punch. He felt horrible. He'd hit his partner.   
  
11:16 p.m.  
She couldn't believe Charlie's birthday was the next day and she'd completely forgotten to tell Bosco she and Fred were throwing him a party. She knew he liked coming to the kids' plays and parties. She planned on it but got all caught up in work and all, and didn't remember until she walked out of the locker room. She hoped he hadn't left left.   
  
Walking faster than she normally would, Faith had quickened her pace in order to catch her partner. She knew he'd be in a hurry to get home and head to bed, but she prayed she could catch him. As she walked down the steps of the precinct, she spotted his car ahead and watched as he put the key into the lock to get in. She looked both ways and crossed the street to catch him. As she approached his car, she started to say call out to him and let him know she was there. That's when it hit her full force in the face. She didn't have time to react. She just stood there dreading the fist that was coming towards her and hoped it wouldn't hurt too much. She'd never been hit before in the face, not even in boxing practice. She was about to find out what it felt like.   
  
"Faith? Are you okay? Oh my..I'm so sorry. What are you doin' there? Nevermind, Bosco, shut up, she's hurt, of course she's hurt, you just punched her in the face..." He wouldn't shut up. He couldn't. His mind was overwhelmed with vital information and he was having a hard time processing it all. His partner broke him of his thoughts and allowed him to focus on the matter at hand. She was groaning and tears were forming behind her eyes. He knew how much it hurt to be hit in the nose. He'd never had a broken nose but remembered as a kid when a soccer ball hit him square in the face. He cried like a baby. No doubt his partner was experiencing much, if not more, of that same kind of pain. He watched as she stood up straight, swaying slightly. He thought it better if he held onto her, just in case.  
  
"Yeah, Bos. I just wanted to tell you I forgot to mention somethin'. Charlie's havin' a birthday party tomorrow. I wanted to see if you could make it. Well, I found you, huh? What do you say we sit down somewhere? My head is pounding and I don't think I can stand very much longer." She saw him nod and realized he was leadin' her down the sidewalk to the firehouse.   
  
"Oh, yeah. Geez, sorry, Faith. How 'bout we see if there's a medic at the house? It's changeover time. I'm sure someone's gettin' in or gettin' out." He felt the need to apologize more, but saved it for later. He wanted to make sure she was okay. He'd noticed her pupils were the same size and that releived him. Not a lot, but enough to know she didn't have a head injury. He'd seen her head snap back with the impact and worried he had done something to hurt her head. He lead her by her elbow into the garage past the firetrucks. The garage was mostly empty, aside from some lingering firemen just getting off from their shifts. They paid no attention to the officers, as they were wrapped up in a conversation about some girls they were going to hook up with. Wanting no details, Bosco hurried Faith along.   
  
"...so this guy jumps out the window from the third floor. Not even a bruise. The damnedest thing you ever...whoa, Yokas, you okay?" Doc rushed over to help his friend sit down. He saw the officers climb up the stairs where everyone was hanging out doing paperwork, and immediately knew something was wrong. Faith's clothing was covered in blood. She was holding her face with both hands, and blood was seeping through her fingers and had already covered a great deal of her shirt and jeans. It usually looked worse than it was, and he doubed it would be anything serious. He ushered her over to a chair and went down to the bus to get his bag and an ice pack. He was back within a couple of minutes, armed with medical supplies and a cold compress, along with some Tylenol.   
  
"I thought you might need something to take the edge off. What happened?" He listened to Bosco relay the story, knowing Faith couldn't say much with the predicament she was in. He realized she didn't want to jar her face and make it worse. He gently tilted her face up so he could clean the blood off, wincing as she gasped.   
"Sorry, Faith. I'm trying to be gentle. Bosco got a pretty good shot in. Who knew he had it in him? It's always the little ones that you have to worry about." He laughed as she grinned, wincing again. He'd hoped it helped her feel better, even if only a little.   
"Very funny, Doc. I didn't mean to. I just got all jumpy, ya' know. When I get off work I'm always all anxious and stuff. By the time I get home I'm cool and all. She just caught me off guard is all." He still felt bad but knew there was nothing he could do. What was in the past was in the past. He had to focus on the present. He watched as his partner got cleaned up and had some gauze applied to her nose. He could tell Doc was trying to be gentle, but every now and then saw his partner's face contort in obvious pain. It made him feel worse, knowing how much it must hurt.   
  
11:45 p.m.  
"Okay, looks as good as new. Well, aside from the swollen nose and black eyes. I think it's a good look for you." He was trying to make her feel better again, knowing she must have felt horrible. It looked painful, and he figured women didn't like looking bad. He always thought she was beautiful. Not just on the outside. She had something inside that made him with there were more people like her in the world. She was a good friend. He packed up his supplies, making a mental note to refill the gauze and saline and grab another ice pack to refill the one he'd given to Faith. The Tylenol was something he'd already had in the bus. He kept it around for those stressful days that made his head pound. He'd never say it to the man, but he kept it for days when Carlos was especially bad, too.   
  
"Thanks Doc, I'm sorry for makin' you late. I owe you. I hope you didn't have any plans." She knew how silly it sounded. It was almost midnight and he, like any other civilized person, would have probably gone home to bed after work. The odds of him having any plans were probably slim. She felt bad for cutting in on his personal time, though.   
  
"You kidding? I never have any plans. Usually just go home and watch television until I fall asleep on the couch. I know you're jealous." He laughed and thought of how sad his life must sound to a woman with a couple of kids and a husband. He saw Bosco getting anxious and thought of putting him out of his misery.   
  
"Bosco, she's fine, alright? She's just got to go in to get X-Rays. I checked her out. Breathing is fine, no head injury, she's fine. Alright?" He saw the other man take a deep breath and let it out in a long sigh. He didn't believe he wasn't still beating himself up, but figured that would come in time.   
  
1:56 a.m.  
"Faith...Faith wake up. The doctor says it's okay to go in now. Faith, they can see you now." He'd tried the best he could with the paperwork, letting her sleep while he filled in the questions. He knew most of the stuff on the sheet. He didn't know her birthday or weight or anything and didn't want to offend her. So, he'd just left it blank. He figured they'd fill in whatever he couldn't. He opted to let her sleep while he called Fred to tell him what happened. He assured the other man his wife was in good hands and promised to drop her off safely when she was done being checked out.   
  
His partner was groggy with sleep, not wanting to wake up. Her eyes fluttered and finally opened. He felt bad for making her wake up. She obviously needed her sleep, but also needed to get X-rayed. He waited in the waiting room while she had tests performed and less than an hour later met up with her again in the examining room.   
  
"Man I hate hospitals." She stifled a yawn and sighed, feeling heavy with exhaustion. They'd been there for hours and she just wanted to crawl in bed and go to sleep. The doctor must have gotten her vibe, because he came in and informed her she had a broken nose but no other fractures. She could use icepacks and pain medication as needed and should report in a week for a follow-up visit at her regular doctor. She felt relieved to be going home finally.  
  
Bosco walked out of the examining room, feeling thankful he hadn't injured his partner more. He'd hoped she would be okay but deep down had a pang of dread that they would find something more than a broken nose. He'd worried enough for them both while she was getting examined, and felt better knowing she was going to be okay.   
  
2:29 a.m.  
"Hey, why don't you get some sleep? Traffic is hardly there, so it won't take long to get there. I'll wake you when we pull up." He watched her nod slightly, already falling asleep. She needed her rest after all he put her through. As he drove to her place, he remembered how scared he had been when he saw it was Faith he had hit. He kept going over and over in his mind what he had done and realized it could have been much worse. Yeah, he'd only hit her, but it was what could have happened that terrified him. He usually kept his backup gun with him when he was in his civvies and didn't have his issued weapon with his holster. By some chance of fate, his piece wasn't in his pocket where he kept it. He'd been through so much training on the job and at the Academy, that he had no doubts when he pulled his weapon on the job. He only wondered what could have happened off the job. He came to a startling realization.   
  
If he'd pulled his gun on his partner, he could have shot her. The lighting in the street hadn't been that good and if he felt the need, he could have downed her. He'd been taught to think first and then shoot, but in a split second he could have injured his partner. He could have killed her. That's what scared him the most. He tried to get the nagging feeling out of his head, as he pulled up to the curb and put the car into park. Shutting the ignition off, he pulled open his door and proceeded around the car to wake up his sleeping partner.   
  
"Hey partner, we're here. Your nice, warm bed, is callin' your name. Come on, I got you." He helped her stand, as she was groggy from the events of the night and the lack of sleep. Shutting the passenger door, he helped her inside and up the stairs. As they got onto the elevator, he looked at his partner. They were strictly friends. He'd never take it any further, not in a million years. Tonight he saw what Fred saw in the pale, strawberry red-haired woman he worked with. He saw a strong, independent woman who'd been there for him more times than he could count. Who thought of him that night and sought to find him so she could invite him to her son's birthday party. He realized how lucky her family was to have her in their lives, and silently felt thankful he had her for a friend and partner.   
  
The elevator doors opened and they made their way down the hall. She was quiet and so was he. He tapped on the door, careful not to wake the kids, and waited for Fred to open the door. Seeing the man peer from behind the chain in front of him, he watched as the door was unlocked.   
  
"Well, here you are. I'll call you tomorrow Faith." He saw her nod and go into her apartment, Fred's arm wrapped protectively around his wife. He made his way down the hall, down the stairs, and back to his car.   
  
As he drove home, he stopped at a light just down the street from where he lived. He reached his apartment complex and shut the car engine off. As he was gettin' out, he saw something glisten on the floorboard of his car. He reached down and was shocked to realize what it was. His piece had somehow fallen out of his jacket pocket. He stared down at the metal weapon in his hands as if he'd never seen it before. He let out the breath he'd been holding and felt his hands shake. By some twist of fate, he had dropped that gun there.   
  
He remembered he once told Faith he didn't believe in luck. Maybe he'd have to start. Whatever it was, it was watching over them tonight. Something was there that kept his partner safe and kept him from shooting her. He shook his head, placing the gun back into his pocket. As he walked into his apartment, he glanced up at the stars and saw one streak across the sky. He thought about making a wish, but figured he wouldn't press his luck, or whatever he believed in.   
  
  
  



End file.
